Comments Off on California city on its way to becoming the first Zero Net Energy city in the U.S.

The city of Lancaster, California is one step closer to becoming a Zero Net Energy city – the very first in the U.S. The proposed ordinance, recently moved forward by the city council, will require all new homes to be equipped with solar panels or to take other steps toward energy mitigation. The end goal is to create a city with a truly sustainable future. “This is a great stride in Lancaster’s journey to become a Zero Net City,” said Mayor R. Rex Parris in a statement. “The Zero Net Energy Home Ordinance expands upon Lancaster’s residential solar ordinance so that new homes built in Lancaster now will not only be environmentally friendly, but have a zero net impact on our environment, while reducing energy costs for the homeowners.” Related: Lancaster, California to require all new homes to have solar panels The ZNE ordinance requires all new homes built in the year 2017 and beyond to choose one of three options for energy use: install photovoltaic panels to support two watts of energy for each square foot, pay mitigation fees that will result in a discount on the energy generation rate section of their bill, or select a combination of both options. The required feasibility study for the ordinance is already taking place, which is needed before receiving approval from the California Energy Commission . These processes are expected to be complete by the end of the year. Images via Wikimedia

The Windy City is turning into a hotbed of sustainable urban agriculture. Entrepreneur John Edel is transforming The Plant , a 1920s era meatpacking facility in Chicago’s industrial Back of the Yards neighborhood (next to the Union Stockyards) into a net zero vertical farming operation fueled by food waste. And a huge part of that transformation involves a giant anaerobic digester that converts food waste into biogas to power and heat the four-story, 93,500 square foot red brick warehouse. Read the rest of Food Waste Fuels Vertical Farming in Chicago Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: anaerobic digester , Back of the Yards , chicago , food waste , John Edel , the plant , vertical farming

Comments Off on Magnificent Gabled School Shows Great Design Doesn’t Have to be Expensive in London

This magnificent gabled structure serves as an activities center and crèche for the Wilberforce Primary School in Westminster, London. But it used to be nothing more than a dimly lit portakabin. Designed by Jonathan Tuckey Design , the timber-lined gatehouse features three skylights that provide both abundant natural daylight and ventilation. Best of all, the building was put together on a limited budget, which just goes to show – great design doesn’t have to be expensive. Read the rest of Magnificent Gabled School Shows Great Design Doesn’t Have to be Expensive in London Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: corrugated fibre-cement panels , cradle-to-cradle , gabled school gatehouse , Jonathan Tuckey Design , low-cost education buildings , low-cost renovation of a school gatehouse , school community center , school gatehouse made from timber , school renovation in London , Wilberforce Primary School

Comments Off on Floating East River Pool Inches Closer to Reality with Mini Float Lab

The team behind the + Pool , a floating pool proposed for the East River, has launched a mini version of their design to test its water filtering abilities. Called the Float Lab, the model will be tested in the Hudson River and if all goes well, the + Pool team hopes to upgrade to a large-scale iteration this summer. READ MORE > Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: + pool , arup , Columbia’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory , CUNY , eco design , floating East River Pool , green design , hudson river park trust , Olollo , Persak & Wurmfeld , Pier 40 , River Project , riverkeeper , sustainable design

Adobe Systems didn't set out to become a net zero company, one that generates or offsets as much energy as it uses. But now that's one of the firm's central sustainability goals, the chief of global facilities told the GreenBiz Forum.